It is generally known that certain compounds when applied topically to human skin, will produce a tanned appearance, i.e. an artificial tan. U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,865, to Turner, issued Nov. 24, 1987 describes the use of hydro-alcoholic solutions of dihydroxyacetone for tanning the skin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,805, to Welters, issued Aug. 21, 1984 describes hair and skin coloring formulations containing dihydroxyacetone; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,403, to Andreadis et al., issued Aug. 16, 1960 describes artificial tanning formulations containing dihydroxyacetone in an oleaginous base. Dihydroxyacetone is believed to provide an artificial tan to human skin by its reaction with the nitrogen containing proteins of the skin.
Currently many available artificial tanning products have the disadvantage of not providing the desired control over color development of the tan. Artificial tans are often either too light or too dark, and tend to be too orange, uneven, or unnatural in appearance. Furthermore, artificial tans tend to take too long to develop, and once obtained, tend to fade too quickly and unevenly. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide artificial tanning products which are chemically and physically stable, which are aesthetically pleasing, and which overcome these color development limitations.
A sun-tanned appearance is a symbol of a healthy, dynamic, and active life. Yet, the damaging effects of sunlight and artificial sources of ultraviolet radiation on the skin are well documented. Furthermore these effects are cumulative and potentially serious. These effects include erythema (i.e. sunburn), skin cancer, and premature aging of the skin.
Sunscreens are the most common agents used for sun protection. However, sunscreens also have the disadvantage of preventing or greatly diminishing the cosmetically desirable tanning response. Thus, if an individual uses a sunscreen for protection from ultraviolet radiation, he or she is forced to forego a tanned appearance. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide protection from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, and yet at the same time deliver a tanned appearance to the skin.
Furthermore, even if an individual is willing to accept the risks associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation in order to obtain a tan, there are situations in which it may not be practical or even possible to do so because of time constraints, weather conditions, time of day, season of the year, geographic limitations, unavailability of an artificial ultraviolet radiation source, and the like. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide products that can deliver a tanned appearance whenever desired without the need for ultraviolet radiation.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide artificial tanning products for delivering both an artificial tan and also for providing protection from ultraviolet radiation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide compositions for imparting an artificial tan to human skin. A further object of the present invention is to provide stabilized compositions which are aesthetically appealing to consumers. A still further object of the present invention is to provide compositions for both imparting an artificial tan to human skin and also for protecting the skin from ultraviolet radiation. An even further object of the present invention is to provide a method for artificially tanning human skin. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for both artificially tanning human skin and for providing protection against ultraviolet radiation.
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent in light of the following disclosure.